Missouri State University-Springfield Top Questions

The classes that I am attending now are all a step by step process, meaning that I can't take a particular class unless I take the class below it. I am down to final 3 semesters and due to the step by step process I can only take 3 to 4 classes at a time.

Academics at Missouri State are probably pretty common in comparison to other universities with the same population and general size. The classes tend to be smaller, which gives each student a better opportunity to work with the professor and to find friends and study groups among the students enrolled in the class. The amount of studying students do really depends on the person and the class, but from what I've seen around, a majority of students take their academics pretty seriously and put a decent amount of time into studying for their various classes. Personally, I'm a part of the Psychology Department here and I think it's fantastic. The faculty is accommodating and fair and they really push for the success of their students above anything else.

One good thing about classes here on campus is there are very few HUGE classes. The gen-ed. lecture classes are large, but don’t go much over 100. The rest are fairly small where the teachers do make an effort to learn your name, and they give you tests that they grade themselves (it is not all scantron to save time because the class is too big to do otherwise). You do have to work at the classes, hardly any of them are freebies. I spent several hours a week my first semester in the library, when I wasn’t studying in my room. Not to say it is an overwhelming amount, it is just more than high school obviously, so more work is required. A great thing about the teachers in all of the classes here is they make an effort to be available to you, should you need help. They all have some scheduled office hours where they usually encourage you to come see them with any questions or concerns. Depending on your major, the classes can be very competitive. Some courses have very few seats available so it may be hard to even get in a class once you get into the higher-level course work. Some of the non-required classes can be a lot of fun though too. I am currently in a Hero and Quest class that i took to get rid of a gen-ed. requirement, and I love it. There is a lot of work and fun that goes in to the classes here and I think, in general, the teachers do a good job of being available for every student, and I think there are classes here for everyone.

I absolutely LOVE Missouri State University. I came from a small town and checked out a bigger school and wasn't too fond of it. Here at Missouri State the campus isn't too big but it isn't too small either. We have around 20,000 students but you don't really notice it. My favorite part of the campus itself is that I can get from one end to the other in less than fifteen minutes so I never have to worry about being late to class. Springfield itself is also really easy to navigate and it has everything at your disposal. One thing that sealed the deal on my decision to go here was the people. On other college visits the students just kind of walked by and acted as if you were invisible. Here, everybody was willing to help. I remember my first visit I was trying to figure out the shuttle and without even asking, a fellow passenger offered her help to my family and me without even thinking twice. That's just the way Missouri State students are. GO BEARS!

Missouri State has a unique ability to provide students with the experience of small and large class sizes. Classes range from small groups of less than twenty to lecture-hall style. Even in larger classes, professors are always available to talk to outside of class and encourage students to take advantage of the opportunity. Class participation is key to succeeding in many classes.